Natural disasters strike without any kind of warning. With them they most usually carry not only massive material damage – making the occurrence of such a costly affair on both a personal and global level. Another aspect of damage exists, it is that of the psychological trauma that being exposed to the violent outlets of nature brings along with it. Most commonly a victim of a natural disaster will be facing PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) at some point in the period of time after the natural disaster. This is the same kind of psychological ailment that many soldiers suffer after returning from service in a warzone. The symptoms include but does not limit to: Depression, withdrawal, sudden aggression and amnesia. For a person to handle Post Traumatic Stress Syndrom, professional help is strongly recommended – to ensure that the individual in this unpleasant situation will be able to return to a normal state of living within a foreseeable amount of time.
The treatments on offer in the field of treating Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome are many and diverse. Ranging from alternative, undocumented methods of treatment to state sponsored psychiatrist treatments – the results of the different treatment options range from non existent to outstanding.
EMDR Evidenced Based Approach
One of the most successful forms of treatment has proven to be the one called the “EMDR” treatment, short of “eye movement desensitization and reprocessing”. It is a treatment that takes place in several different phases – all of which are taking their starting points in the initial phase where the reasons for the psychological stress disorder of the patient is unveiled in a series of analysis session between patient and therapist. Once the key areas of the problem have been uncovered, the treatment itself can begin. A quite uncommon feature of this particular treatment is when compared to for instance traditional psychotherapy , that the patient does not necessarily have to face the painful memories in each session – this is absolutely the free choice of the patient.. The therapist will schedule an individual treatment plan for the patient based on the information.
A short description of the treatment itself can be a bit difficult to provide – and it is strongly advised to seek further information with the therapist to make sure all your questions are cleared before initiating the treatment. Nonetheless, here are a few of the key elements of the EMDR treatment for patients suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome: A series of therapist guided eye movement exercises where the patterns of movement have been carefully planned by the therapist prior to the session the help the patient reach the point where the SUD Scale of the comes as close to zero as possible. The next phase is to focus on positive change in the mindset of the patient as opposed to focusing on the psychological trauma caused by for instance a natural disaster.
Studies have shown, that the EMDR treatment method is an incredibly efficient method in helping patients with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome regain control of their emotions and hence return to a normal standard of life.